Portable Reloading

[lordjackel]

So I ran across a Dillon Case Loader on Ebay for a steal...but when I went to install it, it was too tall for the room. So...I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone. Lower the press (which actually makes reloading more comfortable for those long hauls) and make it portable so I can reload where ever I want to.

I thought I would share as I know a lot people are always looking for reloading bench ideas when they have limited space.

Dillon 650 with Case Feed (set up for 223)
Husky rolling tool box (Stainless from Home Depot for $90!)
I piece of wood to reinforce the top and some bolts (Free Garage)
Holds all my tools, supplies and components

 

[Leo]

Nice looking outfit. It is always nice to have storage near the equipment.

 

[RSW]

Love it. Any problems with it moving when your full length sizing?

 

[warthog]

I wish I could run across a Dillon for a steal.

That does look nice but the bottom must be pretty heavy. I would think it would topple when you start sizing. Of course a lot depends on what cartridge you are loading. Some size easy and some don't. It just looks a little top heavy to me. Besides, there is no way I could get all my components, and dies and other stuff into that one cabinet. Just ait, you'll need to expande in a little while too.

 

[biggen]

You could take the strong mount off and drop it down quite abit. I mounted my 650xl directly to the bench top.

Also, those 650's can have some problems if the bench isn't rock solid. I know from personal experience that if you call Dillon asking for some help trouble shooting, one of the first things they will ask is "how's it mounted" and "is the bench bolted to the wall and/or floor?"

Hope it works good for you, they are a heck of a machine, but like anything with moving parts they do have some quirks all their own.

 

[lordjackel]

Thanks Guys for the comments...for clarity this is just a portable station for convenience and change of pace. I have a couple 6' reloading benches with 2 other pressess and all the stuff, supplies, etc. needed all in a reloading room. This is where I do any of the tougher loading or real accurate loading

This one is just set up for 223 plinking loads so I can power load them...I ran through about 500 rounds today with no issues related to it being top heavy or moving around too much. (the bottom drawer is full of brass and bullets (aka weight) which helps keep it rock solid and the wheels lock too).

 

[RSW]

Can you still open the top drawer with the bolts going through the top?

 

[lordjackel]

Can you still open the top drawer with the bolts going through the top?

Yes I can....their is about 3 inches of "top" empty area so the bolts don't hit the drawer at all.

 

[LarryC]

When you said "portable" I had flashbacks of a Portable reloading setup I saw a guy using some 35 ~ 45 years ago. He had a plywood shelf clamped or fastened to the tailgate of an old station wagon. Apparently he was working up a load for a 30-06 in a farm area we used to shoot at in Northern Indiana. Doing all his trimming, de-burring, cleaning by hand and obviously weighing on a mechanical scale. He had it inside the wagon as the wind kind of made it hard to balance! Seemed to work OK as he was there for about four hours, spoke to him but didn't want to interfere with his day. Kinda neat. Your outfit looks pretty neat. Son does most of the reloading now, has a dedicated re-loading room with a full Hornady Lock & load setup. Doubt we would use a "portable" setup though, as we tend to load a "lot" when set up for a caliber. Usually 1 to 2K at a time.

 

[dfranks]

I'm jealous Nice looking setup!

 

[BK1962]

If it doesn't slosh powder out of the cases more power to ya! Curious, how much did you steal it for?

 

[lordjackel]

If it doesn't slosh powder out of the cases more power to ya! Curious, how much did you steal it for?

No more sloshing then when it was mounted on a bench. I got the case feeder for $50 from an Ebay Estate sale...it looks like the owner never used it

 

[Bosshoss]

In case you want to mount to a bench sometime in a low cealing area. You can cut several inches as needed off of top of bar the casefeeder fits on and take the same amount off of the clear case feed tube.